The December Oriental Rug Auctions: New England

The sale included 230 lots including books, and the collectible pieces far outnumbered the decorative pieces. It was a good sale with 72% of the lots selling. The room size decorative rugs were the weakest group in the sale, but this had been true at the other auctions as well.

Chinese pillar rugs fanciers were pleased to find two pairs, Lot 57, estimated at $3,000-$4,000, and Lot 59, estimated at $2,000-$3,000. Cataloged last quarter of the 19th century, both were surely much earlier and each was approximately 10'6"x2'6". Given their widths, it seems likely that the pairs were meant to be used together on a pillar rather than on two pillars. They were bought by Andonian as was Lot 130, another pillar rug, 12'5"x6'4", estimated $3,000-$5,000; he paid $9,500. Cataloged as Chinese but actually East Turkestan, circa 1800, Lot 205 was estimated $1,500-$2,000 and was keenly sought by a few who understand these rugs. Ronnie Newman ended up with it for $7,500, a relative bargain.

(From the Dudin Collection) 20. ERSARI-CHARSHANGU Turkoman, KHALI 7'3"x4'5" (219x134 cm) 19th century, SME NO. 37-23 Design: Badam Warp: Wool, fray, mixed with ivory and brown, Z2S Weft: Wool, brown, Zl and Z2S (in some places), two shoots Knot: Wool and cotton, Z2S, loose; asymmetric, open right; count: 11 per square inch (1,200 dm2) Colors: Cherry red, pinkish orange, yellow, brown, dark blue, blue, green, Light green (not fast), white (wool and cotton); natural dyes Sides: Two cables (3 warps in each) of warps overcast with red and blue wool, in a checkered pattern Ends: 8" (21 cm) of red with green stripes flatweave, warp ends knotted in fringe Purchased: 1902, "ghilam, carpet Uzbek Bashire, old" Published: Tsareva, Rugs, pl. 92

A number of desirable Turkoman rugs were offered. Among the large pieces was an early transitional C-gul carpet, estimated $12,000-$15,000, which sold for $17,000. Lot 116, a 5'9"x4'8" Beshir rug estimated $3,000-$4,000 is quite similar to a piece in the Dudin Collection (ORR XI/1, p. 91) and was in excellent condition except for new edges. The boteh pattern is rare in Beshir rugs, and it brought a well deserved $11,000.

Outstanding among the Caucasian rugs was a runner with a lattice design with palmettes, Lot 137, estimated $14,000-$16,000. Dated a credible 1285 A.H. (1868 A.D.), the pre-kustar product had side and end finishes resembling later Shirvan weavings; the colors and motifs, however, placed it firmly in the Kuba district. It made a decent $10,000. We thought Lot 3, Daghestan prayer rug with the lattice and flower pattern, was a sleeper. It was tightly woven, in very good condition, well drawn, but filthy; cleaned this was going to be a spectacular piece. Estimated $2,500-$3,500, some lucky phone bidder got it for $3,500. Lot 68, Kuba rug estimated $1,400-$1,600, offered similar possibilities, except for a rip in the side. This allover design of staggered rows of flowering plants is called Salmosoyud by Kerimov and is one of the rarer Kuba patterns. The same phone bidder got it, too. Lot 125, Sevan Kazak, was slightly out of the ordinary in minor details. It deserved the $18,000 it brought.

Lot 125, Sevan Kazak, was slightly out of the ordinary in minor details. It deserved the $18,000 it brought.

One piece had most people shaking their head after the hammer fell at $8,800. Estimated $1,500-$2,500, Lot 118 was the Shahsavan soumak bagface that Skinner had exhibited at the I.C.O.C. Rug Fair in San Francisco. Bold and starkly simple in pattern and color, it was finely woven. Rumor has it returning to the collection of a previous owner. Is this a new record for a Shahsavan bagface at auction?

Skinner continues to offer the most interesting groups of Turkish rugs, and this sale was no exception. The problem is to sell them. Lot 127, East Anatolian rug estimated $12,000-$15,000, was perhaps the best of this group. A rare type with a 2-1-2 design similar to a Karachov Kazak, it failed to sell at $9,000.

Skinner also tends to offer a number of Persian village rugs and we decided to pay particular attention to these. Most of these rugs are in a 4'x6' size. There were 13 such lots, which performed as follows:

Lot 12 Heriz est. $1,500-2,000 sold $2,750
Lot 45 Ferahan-Sarouk est. $2,000-3,000 sold $4,000
Lot 47 Ferahan-Sarouk est. $1,800-2,200 sold $1,700
Lot 77 Serapi est. $3,500-4,500 sold $4,000
Lot 78 Heriz est. $1,200-1,500 sold $4,000
Lot 82 Senneh est. $1,800-2,200 sold $1,800
Lot 106 Ferahan est. $2,500-3,000 sold $2,250
Lot 107 Ferahan est. $3,000-5,000 sold $3,000
Lot 187 Ferahan est. $2,000-2,500 sold $1,600
Lot 193 Ferahan est. $1,200-1,500 sold $700
Lot 194 Heriz est. $400-600 sold $700
Lot 195 Serapi est. $1,500-2,000 sold $1,600
Lot 202 Bijar est. $1,800-2,200 sold $1,900

In looking at these results one might wonder why auction houses don't try to sell more Persian village rugs. We have listed all in the sale and 100% sold. Only three lots sold below the low estimate and four sold above the high estimate. Admittedly, many of these rugs were thin but these types are consistently popular with the public. Heriz and Serapi rugs typically bring the highest prices until one gets to Sennehs, Ferahans, and Ferahan-Sarouks of the finest quality, and then they top the Heriz district rugs. There were none of that quality in this sale. A quick comparison to similar lots in the Sotheby's sale showed similar statistical results except that none sold below the low estimate.

Skinner is continuing to receive a large numbers of good rugs from estates and has scheduled another rug sale for February 15, 1991.

Although it did not approach the top price of the evening, one of the finest rugs in the sale was Lot 1, South Persian rug, estimated $3,000-$4,000. It actually was a rare Khamseh rug type with an hexagonal ivory field surrounded by cypress trees and a square panel in the center. John Collins published two of these in his Flowers of the Desert catalog, plates 29 and 30; the unique prayer rug which has been offered in the New York auctions is also of this group. Not surprisingly the rug sold to Collins for $2,900. This rug differed from the others, having four large orange (?) trees at the corners of the square panel which was filled with flowers, trees, birds, and ornamental carp. Another unusual rug was Lot 13, Kuba prayer rug, accurately dated to the mid-19th century, estimated $5,000-$7,000. It did not truly fit any particular type. The abrashed gold field would have led some to call it Lesghi; the irregular knotting and deviant borders may have said Derbent to others. However, these features and the unusual mihrab form said good, honest early Caucasian village weaving to us. It sold for $5,000. A second Caucasian rug, Lot 91, Lesghi, 6'6" x 3'4", estimated $3,000- $4,000, had great color and an unusual border which was corroded, its only problem. This piece was subject to some of the most intense bidding and ended up with a New York dealer for $10,000.

Lot 52, 11'9" x 5' Soumak carpet in excellent condition was estimated $2,000-$3,000. The field contained repeating medallions of three different types in bichromatic blues and pinks. It was bought by a prominent New England dealer with a good eye and nose for a bargain price at $2,300.

One of the most interesting decorative roomsize carpets was Lot 65, Bijar, 11' x 6'7", estimated $8,000-$10,000. It had once been in the Dole Collection which was auctioned in a series of three sales in the 1970s on Cape Cod. It was of the Helvai type and had a distinctly European pattern of allover roses. It sold for $12,500.

One of the most interesting decorative roomsize carpets was Lot 65, Bijar, 11' x 6'7", estimated $8,000-$10,000. It had once been in the Dole Collection which was auctioned in a series of three sales in the 1970s on Cape Cod.

There was one notable Turkoman, Lot 113, Yomud main carpet, estimated $2,500-$3,000. The main border was of the boat type and the field had large well drawn dyrnak guls. Opinions varied as to whether it was 1850 as cataloged or a slightly later but well drawn piece with excellent dyes. Whichever, it was a good buy at $7,250.

On the basis of attendance and the percentage of lots sold, Michael Grogan has demonstrated that he can draw a good crowd and sell rugs. Although the overall quality of these lots was not as high as those in New York, his few outstanding pieces, such as the Lesghi rug, showed that he can get top prices for top pieces as well. It will be interesting to see if he makes a stronger move into the vacuum created by the cutback in activity at Christie's. If overhead is too high and profit margins too low to permit the New York houses to handle rugs, regional houses are the logical firms to take up this part of the antique auction business.